Clutch and speed reducing mechanism



July 14, 1931. R. HOFSTETTER 1,313,926

CLUTCH AND SPEED REDUCING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 10, 1928 Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE I ROBERT HOFSTETTER, OF DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEO- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CLUTCH AND SPEED REDUCING MECHANISM Application fi1ed December 10, 1928. Serial No. 324,876.

This invention relates to clutch and speed reducing mechanisms, and more particularly to a roller drlve clutch and speed reducing.

the like.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, there is provided a plurality of circularly positioned taperedrollers which are adapted to engage a tapered portion of a driving shaft. A cylindrical cup shaped member connected to a shaft to be driven is provided with an inner conical surface which is also adapted to engage the tapered rollers.

This conical surface surrounds'the tapered surface of the driving shaft and means are provided for moving the rollers into engagement withthe twosurfaces to drive the second shaft. A frame supporting the rollers permits them to rotate only abouttheir own Other features and advantagesv of themvention will appear from the following. description taken in connection with the accom panying drawings, wherein -Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional vview of i the apparatus embodying the features of the invention I Fig.2 1s a cross sectional View of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, and

. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the appa-ratus taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

351'. Referring now to the drawings. in which Y like i .1 numerals designate such as a motor.

similar parts throughout tlIQVLllOllS' figures, there s disclosed the end ofadriving shaft 5 which may be driven by any ordinary driving means,

a tapered end portion 6, and surrounding this "end portion there is provided a stationary cylindrical housing 7 which is secured by bolts 8 to brackets 9 which extend from the frameright rectangular-shaped lever 10 which surrounds the shaft 5 (see'Fig. 2), and is, piv- V oted below to the housing 7 by a bolt 11'. This 5.0 lever is rotated a slight amount about the structurea 'l he shaft 35 is journalled in a gagement with each other;

This shaft is provided with pivot bolt 11 by an eccentric arrangement con nected to the upper end of the lever which consists of a shaft12 journalled' withinthe' lever 10 and having oflsetend portions13 which are ournalled within the-housing 7;

A suitable handlel i is secured to one of the end portions 18 for rotating the eccentric shaft 12 and actuating the lever 10.. The end of the housing 7 is enclosed by 3wSl116ld115 which is held in position by the bolts Sand ex; tends down between collars 16 secured to'the driving shaft 5.

Surrounding the shaft 5 there is provided an annular bevel-shaped disk 20 which has two central lugs 21 that are pivotally con 1. These tapered surfaces of the rollers and.

thedriving shaft 5, it is to be-understood,-are deslgned so that if they were extended they would meet in a common apex in accordance with thetheory of design of tapered roller bearings, in order that the rollers 27 and the driving member 6 properlyrotate while inen- A thrust bearing 28 is interposed between each-tapered roller 27 andthe disk 20 for the purpose of sustainingthe thrust between,

these-two members, and the tapered rollers '27are prevented from moving off the right hand end (Fig. 1) of the studs 23by' a ring 29 which is riveted thereto.

is provided a cylindrical cup shaped member 30 which has a conical surface 34which is tapered in accordance with the theory of tapered roller bearing design mentioned above and which engages the rollers 27when they are in the position shown in Fig. 1. This cylindrical-member .30 forms an in tegr-a-lpart of a hollow shaft 35 which. it is desired to drive by means of the invented Surrounding the tapered rollers 27 there 0 sleeve bearing 36 mounted in a diminished end portion 37 of the housing 7, and is prevented from moving longitudinally by a thrust bearing 38 which is secured to the end of the shaft 5. The bearing 38 is held in position on the shaft 5 by a nut 39 which bears against a sleeve 40 which secures the bearing 38 against a shoulder l1 on the shaft. A collar 42 integral with the shaft 35 bears against one side of the thrust bearing 38 and a disk 13 threaded to the shaft 35 bears against the other side of the thrust bearing 38, thus securing the shaft 35 to the thrust bearing 38. Of course, the shaft 35 need not be journalled in the manner described, the only necessary requisite in. the mounting of the shaft being that it be prevented from moving longitudinally in order that the conical surface 3% be always in a fixed position for engaging the rollers 27. Thus, there is described above a simple clutch device whose operation will now be explained.

l/Vhen the rollers 27 are in the position shown in the drawings, they are engaged by the tapered surface 6 of the driving shaft 5 and rotated about their individual axes on This reduction in speed is theoretically equal to the ratio of the mean diameter of the portion of the conical surface 34 engaged by the rollers 27 to the mean diameter of the portion of the tapered surface 6 engaged by the rollers 27, because both of these engaged surfaces move the same peripheral distance, but the proportion of this distance to the circumference of each engaged surface depends upon the. diameter of thatsurface.

When it is desired to stop the shaft 35, the handle 14 is rotated counter-clockwise (Fig. 1), actuating the eccentric 12, and moving the lever 10, the disk 20, and the studs 23 to the left 1), and consequently the rollers 27 out of engagement with the surfaces 6 and 34. .Vhen it is desired to again rotate the shaft 35, the handle 14 is rotated ina clockwise direction back to the position shown in Fig. 1, and this actuates the eccentric 12 and. moves the lever 10 to the right, and consequently the rollers 27 into engagement with the .surfaces 6 and 34 and causes the shaft 35 to rotate.

In order that the tapered rollers 27 may be moved longitudinally of the shaft 5 and out of and into engagement with the surfaces 6 and 34, as described, the rollers are given a slight radial play on the studs 23. This play is provided (as shown in Fig. 3) by mounting the rollers on bushings 45 which are provided with flattened surfaces 16 that cooperate with corresponding flattened surfaces on the studs 23. Play spaces 47 are left above and below the stud 23, and thus the flattened surfaces 46 may move up and down over the stud 23. The studs 23 are so mounted on the disk 20 that the flattened surfaces 16 are disposed radially of the shaft 5, and thus it is apparent that the rollers 27 may move radially to the extent provided by the play spaces 17 to provide for their longitudinal movement. lVhen the rollers 27 are engaging the surfaces 6 and 3 1 as shown in Fig. 1, the studs 23 are disposed centrally of the bushings 4:5 and thus the rollers may rotate properly.

It is believed to be'apparent that the above described apparatus provides a simple and efiicient clutch and speed reducing mechanism, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific structure here illustrated and described, but is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

hat is claimed is: p

1. In a clutch, a tapered driving shaft, a shaft driven thereby, a member provided with a conical surface connected to the driven shaft and surrounding the driving shaft, a plurality .of tapered rollers with their axes inclined with respect to the axes of the shafts and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the tapered driving shaft and the conical surface, and means for moving the tapered rollers into and out of engagement with the tapered driving shaft and conical surface to actuate the driven shaft.

2. In a clutch, a tapered driving shaft, a shaft driven thereby, a cup shaped member connected to the driven shaft and surrounding the driving shaft, a plurality of tapered rollers adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the tapered driving shaft and the cup shaped member to actuate the driven shaft, and non-rotatable bevelshaped support for mounting the rollers with their axes inclined with respect to the axes of the shafts and for moving them into and out of the aforesaid engagement. Y a

. 3. In a clutch, a tapered drivingshaft, a

shaft driven thereby, a member provided with a conical surface connected to the driven shaft and surrounding the driving shaft, a plurality of longitudinally movable tapered rollers for engaging the tapered driving shaft and the conical surface, thrust bearings for longitudinally moving the tapered rollers into engagement with thetapered driving shaft and the conical surface to actuate the driven shaft, and floating bushings for pro- "vi ding a slight radial movement of the rollers so they may be thus moved longitudinally.

4. In a clutch, a tapered driving shaft, a tapered driven shaft adjacent thereto, a plurality of tapered rollers disposed adjacent to the two shafts, floating bushings for ad justably supporting the rollers, thrust bearings for longitudinally moving the rollers into engagement with the two shafts to actuate the driven shaft, pivoted means for mounting the rollers and the bushings and for actuating the thrust bearings, and an eccentric for operatinv the pivoted means.

5. In a clutch, a driving shaft having a tapered end portion, a shaft'driven thereby having an integral conical portion surrounding the tapered portion of the driving shaft, a thrust bearing secured to the driving shaft for preventing longitudinal movement of g" the driven shaft, tapered rollers with their axes disposed at an angle to the axes of the' driving and driven shafts, thrust bearings for moving the tapered rollers into engagement with the tapered portion of the driving shaft and the conical portion of the driven shaft, and pivoted'means for mounting the rollers and operating the thrust bearings thereof.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe so my name this 27 day of November, A. D. 1928.

ROBERT HOFSTETTER. 

